About this project

$7,099

pledged of $3,000 goal

519

backers

It is the 90's and there is time for ... PROTON PULSE RIFT

On the tail end of the VHS generation there was a promise of VIRTUAL REALITY. Not the world as we know it, rendered in exquisite, high resolution detail. This was low-fi crunchy pixels and low-poly blue-and-red cyberscapes reminiscent of Tron, Lawnmower Man, and Reboot. Where the dream display of the future wasn't a 60 inch TV in the living room; but rather the VR headset. With the Oculus Rift, we plan on finally fulfilling that promise in our neo-retro head tracking VR block breaker, Proton Pulse RIFT!

So whats the goal?

Our main goal is to pay for the Unity Pro licenses, and to get a second Oculus Rift so we can make Multiplayer a real-thing! (Kind of hard to test multi-player when you've only got one Oculus, don'cha think?). We would also like to bring in some more people to flesh out additional art, music, and polish. We are just a couple of people after all.The more we can put into the game, the better the game will be. So while we want to finish the game, we can go beyond its current trajectory and make it something incredible for everyone. The money raised will be going directly into improving the game. We can do that with your help.

So what's the benefit of throwing down money into this lovely kickstarter? Well, get in on the Early Bird Game purchase for $4 and you're guaranteed a copy of the game for one, so it's sort of a pre-order sort of deal. When the 16 slots on that one runs out, $8 will get you the full game on release. On top of that, by putting in ANY amount (Yes, even $1) you get a copy of the Preview BETA today! It's not done, but it's still awesome, and it can wet your tastebuds for what's to come!

All the details for the various pledge levels are in that handily little side-bar to the right, so you don't need me rambling off the same info here, but we've definitely got some cool goodies lined up.

We're on track to finish this game, no matter what. It's been our baby for a while, and like I said, we're making this game for ourselves as much as anything else, so it's going to happen. With your help, we can release the game and make it more amazing.

It's in the Game

Proton Pulse RIFT is a full arcade experience on the top of your head. With 48 challenging levels across 3 worlds and 5 radical boss fights, you'll be at the edge of your seat! Tame the power of the Proton to destroy the evil M.O.A.I. (What does that acronym even STAND FOR?!)
Remember Power-Ups? We do too! Blast blocks to bits from afar with lasers. Smash through the toughest materials with the Metal Ball. Grab the Retro Ball for an extra dose of Amiga-style Kickassery. (Note to computer: I don't ever want you to underline "Kickassery" in red EVER again. How else would I spell it?)
And because playing with yourself makes you go blind, we are working on a multiplayer experience to bring helmet-to-helmet competition into the mix!

(Note on multiplayer: we are supporting local LAN play and direct-ip connection internet multiplayer. We are an incredibly small company and will not be able to support a server infrastructure. However, expect to see a stretch goal on here soon to make online matchmaking a possibility!)

Play It Loud

With DIGITIZED VOICE and 16-bit stereo sound, Proton Pulse RIFT will blow you out of your seat! Grab your favorite headphones and enjoy the cybernetic soundscapes of Proton Pulse RIFT. The playfield glows with every beat of the soundtrack, bringing you to synesthesia with every pulse. (Epilepsy warning, natch!)

Have You Got What It Takes?

All 90's in-your-face marketing aside, we really made this game for ourselves. We love the Oculus Rift and Proton Pulse was just WAITING to have proper stereoscopic 3d. We've been overwhelmed by the reactions and support of the VR community, and we are overjoyed that there are folks out there that are looking for a game experience like this.

Proton Pulse was our first real game project as indies. We had a lot of fun making it but we know a lot more than when we started. The project has grown with us as we've improved the game for the Oculus Rift. Additionally, Proton Pulse RIFT is targeting PC/Mac rather than mobile, which allows us to do another pass on our graphical effects. Finally, in order to use the Oculus Rift, we need Unity Pro; which gives us even more options and capabilities than we've ever had. This is the main reason we are running this Kickstarter, to get ourselves set up with Unity Pro licenses so we can actually distribute!
Are you a bad enough dude to support our project? (Okay, I lied when I said I'd set ALL the 90's marketing aside. So sue me.)

Hear what others had to say

A couple months back we released a small demonstration of Proton Pulse Rift. This was a demonstration of game-play mechanics and controls. We never imagined that it would take off so well.

Positive feed back started to flow in. It was around that time that we realized that we needed to make this a full title.

Crunch mode was on. We brought in outside help to flesh out some of the assets. We recently got to a point where we felt it was safe to show our current beta preview. We sent a copy to RoadToVR and the feedback we received was very positive.

Did you catch our ad on TV? No? No worries, we got the whole thing on tape!

The original teaser

___

Time to Stretch! - New and Improved

Now that the initial goal has been reached, it time to see how we as a group can make the game better!

As I stated in the video, any pledged money above the initial goal is being re-invested back into the game. I removed the goal amounts because Its important to know that if the goals are not reached, it doesn't mean that I'm not going to try and get them in anyways. My main focus is to deliver the best experience I can, but I can't do it alone. The stretch goals are a tool for me to hire additional people to fill in features I would love to see integrated above and beyond the core experience.

These are the features I'm aiming for:

Goals Reached!

Online Rank System

This is an online score rank system. It will automatically upload your score and show you how you did compared to the whole world. Pretty neat, eh?

Ear Candy

contracting musicians, licensing, and game integration

This is one I really hope to get in. I would contract the works of some of the great game musicians to fill in the game (I'm looking at you ViRT). I wrote the music for the game, but we have a chance to take it up to 11.

Goals not yet met

Leap Motion Hand Tracking

hardware for development, contracting code, and game integration

Using the tech of a Leap Motion, you can have hand tracking in the game. The current idea is to spawn options where your hands are in the game. This would give an incredible sense of depth and immersion.

I had a chance to rig up a concept demonstration. The future is so much fun!

Champion Multiplayer

asset creation, contracted code, game integration

This would be an expansion of the current multiplayer level. Instead of one arena, it would expand to 5. The levels would be dynamic featuring new abilities, new levels, and a space level. Its like a regular level, but in space! Wanna see? Here is my initial concept.

Mini Games!

This would be a collection of mini games. These would be ranked online as well!

Here are a couple examples of what I mean:

Infinity mode - a space level with randomly generated object. Its non-stop. How long can you survive?

Aim Master - A set of puzzle levels where the paddle only lets you bounce the ball a set number of times. Can you clear the level with a single hit?

Face Bounce - Lie down on your back and bounce the ball falling towards you as many times as you can. The ball will be falling by gravity. How many bounces can you do?

More Levels

new art, new code, new design, and new music. Also integration into the game.

This would be an additional 16 levels expanding the game to 4 worlds instead of the initial 3. These levels would be far more dynamic (moving wall elements, levels that expand as you play, etc). There are initial plans for this, but we never had the time to get them completed. If we reach this goal, I can contract help to make this a reality.

Online Matchmaking

online server costs, game integration, and contracted code.

Instead of hosting your own game, you can now go online and join a community of other players. Battle them online or have them join you for a *CO-OP campaign (dependent on CO-OP goal).

CO-OP Campaign

This would let someone join you during the single player experience and assist you thru the entire game!

Fun with a friend!

Set the game free!

Goal Set at $150,000

We will release the Unity Project online for anyone to use. The whole game would go to Creative Commons. Make custom content, discover the joys of VR development, its all possible with this pack. Everyone would have full rights to do whatever they wanted with the game source. Its so easy to use that anyone can create their own worlds. Together, we can raise the VR bar for everyone.

Go ahead, go nuts!

A New Beginning

Goal Set at $250,000 on up

This would be a crowd funded game development team! This game was made by a couple guys and a lot of time. Our dream is to build a full team of talented, excited individuals to make great games. Anything above this goal will add more and more momentum into this dream (more talent). This could be huge! Every contributor from $1 on up would have their names immortalized in every future project in the credits because its you who made this happen. This amazing start would be made possible by you!

Making Games!

Risks and challenges

The game is on track for a September launch. We can say this with full confidence; the project is in the final phases RIGHT NOW and we just need funding to properly license the tools for release, and to complete the multiplayer component.

The beta, available at ANY contribution level, is ready RIGHT NOW. And we have a web server set up for hosting the files that has "unlimited" bandwidth. Given the size of the project and our estimated userbase, this should be sufficient, but if our "unlimited" bandwidth runs dry we have a couple backup hosting plans.

The physical Kickstarter reward tiers are all limited in number to allow us to meet the deadlines for production. T-shirts are being produced by ooshirts.com, and they claim that the limits we've set should not cause any delays in printing that would cause dates to slip. Our other physical rewards are being manufactured by our close partners at warpzoneprints.com and are VERY limited to allow for manufacturing with plenty of elbow room if complications occur.

(PLEASE NOTE: we reserve the right to change t-shirt production houses IF NEEDED to maintain our shipping dates. If you pledge, you WILL get a t-shirt, and it WILL have the Proton Pulse RIFT art adorned on it.)

In ANY project, there MAY be unforeseen difficulties. Detail work in a project like this is always tricky, and this is our first Kickstarter project; we could have made assumptions about the post-launch process, as we've not had a hands-on with it. We will do our best to make sure to tackle any issues that may come up during the final weeks of production. If there is any news, you'll be the first to know.

FAQ

The process to send out these beta invites is only partially automated; it involves a few clicks and a lot of copypasta. We try to get these out as quickly as possible, but we have jobs, sleep, and personal life that can get in the way. Which is why, officially, we'll say that it takes "about 24 hours."

As we said, we'll try to send these out as fast as possible, and most will be much shorter waits than 24 hours. We are on the west coast (PDT) so if you order late at night our time, expect a longer delay than when you order during the day.

There isn't a strait answer to this. This game is on a scale. The more that comes in, the more that goes into the game.

Examples would be:
Another world (16 levels)
Bonus Levels (puzzles, etc)
Achievement system
Online High Score Ranking System

The big one is one I've been considering - Set the project free. This would release the source of the game to everyone to use however they want. Its made in Unity3D so it would be very strait forward to make your own custom content, or even a whole new game. This would advance the VR world and that could only be a good thing. The only issue is I'm not sure what dollar amount a task like this would take. I'm not much of a numbers guy :)

I've seen a few reports where the game doesn't progress after completing the first level. Restarting it seems to solve it at times, but I am looking into fixing it. Once its found, I will release a fix for all the backers.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $4 or more
About $4

Early Bird Game Purchase

You waited all night and was first in line.

You get a copy of Proton Pulse Rift when the game completes. This is playable on Mac or PC (Linux too if we can get it to work). Kickstarter contributors will have access to the game before anyone else. You also get the Preview BETA today.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $8 or more
About $8

You get a copy of Proton Pulse Rift when the game completes. This is playable on Mac or PC (Linux too if we can get it to work). Kickstarter contributors will have access to the game before anyone else. You also get the Preview BETA today.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $24 or more
About $24

Who doesn't like cookies? WarpZone Prints was nice enough to donate some M.O.A.I. cookie cutters! With this tier, we will ship you two cookie cutters. This will also include the Preview Beta, the full game when its complete, and the soundtrack.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $64 or more
About $64

Receive a full color shirt in your size with the Proton Pulse Rift cover art. Featuring a 90s style aged retro look, you will be the most popular person in the arcade. You also get the game, the Multi player beta, and the soundtrack.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $256 or more
About $256

Design a Level

Ever wanted to be a level designer? Now is your chance! We will give you the tools and knowledge to design your own level. This won't be some lame side quest. We will put it right in the middle of the main campaign! The level will be credited to you as well.

You also get all the goodies from the tiers above (Multi Beta, Game, Music, Shirt, name in credits)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $512 or more
About $512

Proton Pulse Wooden Clock

With this reward, you will receive a wooden clock designed by our friends at WarpZone Prints! This clock is just shy of a foot long at the diameter. Made from real wood and laser cut to perfection. Great for the classy gamer.

Also includes the Multi BETA, Music, Game, name in credits, and the Shirt)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,024 or more
About $1,024

M.O.A.I. Oculus Rift Stand

Tired of putting your Oculus Rift on the desk when not in use? Introducing the M.O.A.I. Oculus Rift wooden Stand. The stand is designed by our friends at WarpZone Prints with real wood and laser cut to perfection.

These are big and heavy so we can only ship them to individuals in the United States.

Also includes the Multi BETA, Music, Game, name in credits, and the Shirt)